MXPA06005580A

MXPA06005580A - Novolak resins and rubber compositions comprising the same.

Info

Publication number: MXPA06005580A
Application number: MXPA06005580A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Timothy Edward Banach; Todd M Aube; James J Lamb; L Scott Howard
Original assignee: Si Group Inc
Priority date: 2003-11-20
Filing date: 2004-11-17
Publication date: 2006-12-15
Also published as: ZA200603756B; EP2578610B1; US7425602B2; KR20070019664A; US8470930B2; TWI336342B; WO2005052017A1; CN1882625B; BRPI0416763A; KR101225240B1; TW200528514A; PL2578610T3; JP2007512423A; JP5049595B2; ES2536837T3; CA2546595C; EP1699838A1; CA2546595A1; EP2578610A1; BRPI0416763B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to novolak resins prepared with,inter alia, one or more alkylphenols. The invention further relates to compositions comprising the novolak resins, such as vulcanizable rubber compositions, and to products obtained therewith.

Description

that are provided by conventional resins (smoke formation). Resorcinol resins and / or rubber compositions are mentioned in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,031,288; 4,167,540; 4,889,891; 5,030,692; 5,206,289; 5,238,991; 5,922,797; 5,936,056; 5,945,500; 6,448,318; and 6,472,457. All these eleven patents are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides the novolac resins prepared with, relative to the total weight of the phenolic monomers used in the preparation, 1 to 40% by weight of phenols having one or more alkyl groups; for example, alkylphenols. In one embodiment, the present invention provides novolak resins prepared by the reaction of: (a) 1 to 30% by weight of one or more alkylphenols; (b) 1 to 25% by weight of resorcinol; (c) 45 to 98% by weight of phenol; and (d) one or more aldehydes; wherein the percentage by weight is relative to the total weight of components (a), (b) and (c). Also, the present invention provides the rubber compositions comprising the present novolac resins.

In addition, the present invention provides a process for preparing a rubber composition. In one embodiment, the present invention includes: (a) mixing one or more oils with one or more novolac resins to provide a novolac-oil composition; and (b) mixing the novolac-oil composition with one or more rubber compounds. The aspects, advantages and additional features of the present invention are described in this specification, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The inventions described in this application are not limited to any particular group of or combination of aspects, advantages and characteristics. It is contemplated that the various combinations of established aspects, advantages and features constitute the inventions described in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides the novolac resins prepared with, relative to the total weight of the phenolic monomers used in the preparation, 1 to 40% by weight of alkylphenols, for example, 1 to 30% by weight, to 20% by weight or 5 to 20% by weight.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides the novolak resins prepared by the reaction of: (a) 1 to 30% by weight of one or more alkylphenols (for example 1 to 25% by weight, 1 to 20% by weight, 5 to 20% by weight or 5 to 15% by weight); (b) 1 to 25% by weight of resorcinol (for example 1 to 20% by weight, 5 to 20% by weight or 5 to 15% by weight); (c) 45 to 98% by weight of phenol (for example 50 to 90% by weight, 60 to 90% by weight, 65 to 90% by weight or 70 to 85% by weight); and (d) one or more aldehydes; wherein the percentages by weight are _ in relation to the total weight of components (a), (b) and (c). The alkylphenols are phenols having one or more alkyl groups. The alkylphenols can have alkyl groups in the ortho, meta and / or para positions of the phenol. In one embodiment, alkylphenols include those having an alkyl group ("mono-alkylphenols"). In yet another embodiment, alkylphenols include those having two alkyl groups ("di-alkylphenols"). In one embodiment, the alkyl groups of the alkylphenols have at least 4 carbon atoms, for example at least 8, at least 12, at least 16, at least 20, or at least 24 carbon atoms. In general, the alkyl groups will comprise less than 60 carbon atoms, for example less than 40, less than 35, less than 30 or 28 or less carbon atoms. Examples of one or more aldehydes include formaldehyde, methylformcel, butylformcel, acetaldehyde, proionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, crotonaldehyde, benzaldehyde, and furfural. In one embodiment, one or more aldehydes include formaldehyde. The present novolac resins can be prepared in any suitable manner. For example, in one embodiment, the non-resorcinol phenols are first reacted with one or more aldehydes in the presence of a catalyst (for example an acid catalyst, for example a sulfonic acid catalyst such as p-toluenesulfonic acid and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid) to form a first resin. The resorcinol and optionally the additional non-resorcinol phenols can then be added to the first resin, followed by the addition of additional aldehyde. In one embodiment, the present novolac resins comprise less than 5% by weight of free resorcinol, for example less than 3% by weight, less than 1% by weight, less than 0.5% by weight or approximately 0% by weight. In one embodiment, the present novolac resins are used in rubber compositions, for example compositions comprising one or more rubber compounds.

Preferably, the rubber compositions are vulcanizable rubber compositions. Examples of rubber compounds include synthetic and natural rubbers. Representative synthetic rubber polymers include butadiene polymers. Butadiene polymers include those polymers having properties such as rubber, which are prepared by the polymerization of butadiene alone or with one or more other polymerizable, ethylenically unsaturated compounds, such as styrene, methylstyrene, methylisopropenylketone and acrylonitrile. Additional examples of synthetic rubber include neoprene rubbers. Isobutylene rubber (butyl) and ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM) can also be used. In one embodiment, the weight ratio of one or more rubber compounds to the novolac resin is in the range of 99.1 to 90:10, for example, in the range of 99: 1 to 95: 5. Also, the rubber composition may comp a methylene donor. Suitable methylene donors include, for example, hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA), di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, or hexa-N-methylol-melamine or its partially or completely etherified or esterified derivatives, for example hexametoxymethylmelamine (HMMM) ), oxazolidine or N-methyl-l, 3,5-dioxazine.

The rubber composition of this invention may also include one or more additives, for example additives selected from the group consisting of sulfur, carbon black, zinc oxide, silica, anti-oxidant, stearates, accelerators, a cobalt, and promoters of the adhesion. In one embodiment, the rubber composition is absent from cobalt. In one embodiment, the rubber composition further comps a reinforcing material. Examples of reinforcing materials include nylon, rayon, polyester, aramid, glass, steel (bronze, zinc or bronze plating) or other organic and inorganic compositions. These reinforcing materials may be in the form of, for example, filaments, fibers, cords or fabrics. In one embodiment, the rubber composition comps one or more oils. Suitable oils include, for example, mineral oils and naturally derived oils. Examples of naturally derived oils include, for example, liquid resin (by-product of wood chemical tip production), linseed oil and / or tung oil. Commercial examples of liquid resin include, for example, SYLFAT FA1 from Arizona Chemicals and ????? C40S from Hercules Canada. In one modality, the The rubber composition comps, relative to the total weight of the rubber compounds in the composition, less than 5% of one or more oils, such as less than 2% by weight, less than 1% by weight, less than 0.6% by weight. weight, less than 0.4% by weight, less than 0.3% by weight, or less than 0.2% by weight. In one embodiment, the rubber composition comps, relative to the total weight of the rubber compounds in the composition, at least 0.01% by weight of one or more oils, for example at least 0.05% by weight or at least 0.1% by weight. weight. The presence of an oil in the rubber composition can assist in the provision of improved flexibility of the rubber composition after vulcanization. One aspect of the invention relates to a process for forming the rubber composition. In one embodiment, the process of forming the rubber composition such as mixing one or more novolak resins (eg, the novolak resins described above) with one or more oils (eg, the oils described above, such as oils). naturally described derivatives) to form a novolac-oil resin mixture, and mixing the novolac-oil resin mixture with one or more rubber compounds (e.g., one or more of the rubber compounds (e.g., one or more of the rubber compounds described above.) The pre-mixing of the novolac resin and the oil before combined with the compounds of rubber may result in better flexibility of the rubber composition after vulcanization and / or a reduction in the oil that needs to be used. In one embodiment, the novolac-oil resin composition comprises, relative to the total weight of the composition, 0.5 to 20% by weight of one or more oils, 1 to 15% by weight or 2 to 10% by weight. In one embodiment, the weight ratio of one or more rubber compounds in the rubber composition to the novolac-oil composition is from 99: 1 to 80:20, for example 98: 2 to 90:10. The present rubber compositions are useful for making (parts of) a wide variety of products, including, for example, tires, hoses, energy bands, conveyor belts, printing rollers, rubber shoe heels, rubber shoe soles , rollers to squeeze, meshes or mats for automobile floors, fenders for trucks, coatings of ball mills, and weather stripping. In one embodiment, the compositions are used to make surface coatings of wire bands. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a tire comprising a novolak resin containing phenolic monomers, wherein 1 to 40% by weight of the phenolic monomers in the resin are alkylphenols. The Novolac resin may contain (a) 1 to 30% by weight alkylphenols; (b) 1 to 25% by weight of resorcinol; (c) 45 to 98% by weight of phenol; and (d) one or more aldehydes; wherein the percentages by weight are based on the total weight of components (a), (b) and (c). The alkyl groups and alkylphenols may be one or more alkyl groups of 4 to 60 carbon atoms or one or more alkyl groups of 24 to 28 carbon atoms. EXAMPLES The following examples are given as particular embodiments of the invention and to demonstrate the practice and advantages thereof. It should be understood that the examples are given by way of illustration and are not intended to limit the following specification or claims in any way. Glossary Abbreviation Ingredient (Supplier) Rubber Natural rubber "SIR 10" (Astlett Rubber) N-326 Carbon black (Degussa) T Q Trimethylginonane-para-phenylene antioxidant (Uniroyal) 6DDP Diamine (Vanderbilt) Cobalt Antioxidant Manobond680Cobalt (OM Group) Crystex Sulfur Sulfur vulcanization agent (Flexsys) DCBS Dicyclobenzothiazole sulfonamide. { Flexsys) HMMM Hexamethylmethoxyamine "Cyrez 963" (Cytec) Liquid Resin "Sylfat FA1" (Arizona Chemicals) RESIN 1 355 g of a mixture of alkylphenols having alkyl groups in the range of about 24 to 28 carbon atoms (LCAP24-28 of Schenectady International), 974 g of phenol. and 14 g of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (catalyst) were charged into a flask and mixed while heating the flask to 90 ° C. 410 g of formaldehyde (50% aqueous solution) were then added slowly to the flask while maintaining the temperature in the range of 90 to 100 ° C. After completion of the reaction in process, 355 g of resorcinol and 1862 g of phenol were added to the flask (90 ° C). 520g of formaldehyde was then added slowly while maintaining the flask at 90 ° C. After completion of the resulting reaction, 1,8-diazabicyclo (5, 4, 0) undecen-7 ("DBU") was added to neutralize the mixture in the flask. Water and unreacted phenol in the mixture were first distilled at 170 ° C and at atmospheric pressure, and then at 180 ° C at 74 torr.

In the monomeric feedstock, the percentages by weight of the phenolic monomers in the monomer feedstock are about 10% LCAP24-28, 10% resorcinol and 80% phenol, based on the total weight of the monomers. phenolic monomers. For the final product, the percentages by weight of the phenolic monomers are approximately 20% LCAP24-28, 20% resorcinol and 60% phenol, based on the total weight of the phenolic monomers. RESIN 2 600 g of para-t-butyl-phenol ("pTBP"), 729 g of phenol and 12 g of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (catalyst) were charged into a flask and mixed while heating the flask at 90 ° C. 441 g of formaldehyde (50% aqueous solution) were then added slowly to the flask while maintaining the temperature in the range of 90 to 100 ° C. After completion of the resulting reaction, 300 g of resorcinol and 1380 g of phenol were added to the flask (90 ° C). Then 560 g of formaldehyde were slowly added while maintaining the flask at 90 ° C. After completion of the resulting reaction, 6 g of DBU was added to neutralize the mixture in the flask. Water and unreacted phenol in the mixture were first distilled at 170 ° C and at atmospheric pressure, and then at 180 ° C at 74 torr.

The novolak resin obtained by this process was then mixed in molten form with 65 g of liquid resin at a temperature in the range of 140 ° C to 160 ° C. RESIN 3 526 g of para-dodecylphenol ("pDDP"), 1125 g of phenol and 4 g of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (catalyst) were charged into a flask and mixed while heating the flask at 90 ° C. Then, 450 g of formaldehyde (50% aqueous solution) were slowly added to the flask while maintaining the temperature in the range of 90 to 100 ° C. After completion of the resulting reaction, 373 g of resorcinol and 1687 g of phenol were added to the flask at 90 ° C. . 795 g of formaldehyde were then added slowly while the flask was maintained at 90 ° C. After the completion of the resulting reaction, 2 g of DBU was added to neutralize the mixture in the flask. Water and unreacted phenol in the mixture were first distilled at 170 ° C and at atmospheric pressure, and then at 180 ° C at 74 torr. The novolak resin obtained by this process was then mixed in molten form with 50 g of liquid resin at a temperature in the range of 140 ° C to 160 ° C.

RESIN 4 The preparation of Resin 3 was repeated, except that 373 g of pDDP was used instead of 526 g of pDDP. RESIN 5 The preparation of the resin 1 was repeated. The novolak resin obtained in this way was then mixed in molten form with 125 g of liquid resin at a temperature in the range of 140 ° C to 160 ° C. RESIN 6 The preparation of resin 3 was repeated except that 750 g of pDDP was used instead of 526 g of pDDP. RESIN 7 The preparation of Resin 1 was repeated. The novolak resin obtained in this way was then mixed in molten form with 65 g of liquid resin at a temperature in the range of 140 ° C to 160 ° C. RESIN 8 The preparation of Resin 1 was repeated, except that the amounts of resorcinol and LCAP24-28 monomers were altered so that the weight percentage of the phenolic monomers in the monomeric feedstock is 15% LCAP24-28 , 5% resorcinol and 80% phenol, based on the total weight of the phenolic monomers.

RESIN A Resin A is a commercial resorcinol-formaldehyde resin containing approximately 20 to 25% free resorcinol ("B18S" from Indspec). The resin is produced by the reaction of formaldehyde with resorcinol and distilling the water. RESIN B Resin B is a commercial phenol / formaldehyde novolak resin with cashew oil reacted on the main chain ("HRJ-11995" from Schenectady International). RESIN C Resin C is a commercial resorcinol-formaldehyde resin similar to Resin A, but containing between 10 and 16% free resorcinol ("B19S" from Indspec). RESIN D Resin D is a commercial resorcinol-formaldehyde resin containing low amounts of free resorcinol ("B20S" from Indspec). When Resin D is made, the styrene is reacted within the resin to purify the free monomers. Rubber compositions were prepared for each of Resins 3-8 and A-D by the composition of the following components: Ingredient Quantity (parts by weight) One of Resins 3-3 8, A-D Rubber 100 N-326 55 Zinc oxide 8 Stearic acid 1 TMQ 1 6DDP 2 Cobalt 0.5 Crystex Sulfur 5 DCBS 0.8 HMMM 3 The rubber compositions in the following tables are numbered according to the resin comprising (e.g., "Comp 3" or "Composition 3" refers to the rubber composition comprising Resin 3). the tests of Compositions 3-7 against Comparative Compositions A and B (see below for test methods) with the results described in the following Table.

Comp. Comp. Comp. Comp. Comp. Comp. Comp. 3 4 5 6 7 A B Initial Mooney viscosity at 4 95.4 88.3 88.5 91.4 83.4 85.5 89.8 minutes 75.1 67.4 67.8 75.4 67.5 69.4 69.1 Healing of ODR ti † 90 2.4 2.8 2.9 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.8 7.7 8.7 8.8 7.8 8.8 8.3 8.8 Wire Adhesion Original peak load 154 156 143 158 150 154 148 Peak load 165 150 152 165 154 155 143 matured 154 137 140 154 129 132 144 Matured with 130 128 1? 127 104 1 18 1 18 humidity (21 days) Matured with saline bath (96 hours) Hardness Shore A Temperature 85 80 78 87 80 77 80 Environment 89 84 82 91 83 80 83 Shore A 100 ° C Rubber Adhesion 61 127 170 56 208 138 158 a Rubber TEST METHODS: Mooney Viscosity Mooney viscosity was determined in accordance with ASTM D 1646-00, which method is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety. ODR Healing ODR cure data was determined in accordance with ASTM 2085-01, which method is incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety. ti = "time for healing for 1%" of healing (minutes). t90 is "time to heal for 90% "of healing (minutes).

Wire Adhesion The wire adhesion data was determined in accordance with AST D2229-99, which method is incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety. Hardness Hardness data was determined in accordance with ASTM D412-98a and D2240-02, which methods are incorporated by reference herein, in their entirety. Adhesion of Rubber to Rubber Rubber-to-rubber adhesion data was determined in accordance with ASTM D413-98, the method of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Next, Resins 1, 5 and 8 (like Compositions 1, 5 and 8) were tested against Resins A, C and D (as Compositions A, C and D) in the following tests: cure rate, hardness, tensile strength, elongation, elasticity, adhesion, flexibility, strength and viscosity. A "white" composition, which contains all the components of the composition except for the resin, was also included with each of these tests. As is known to those skilled in the art, a composition without a resin component It will deteriorate at high temperatures, and is therefore unacceptable for use in products under high temperature conditions, such as commercial grade tires. White was used in these examples as a reference. The following tests were performed by Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. of 2887 Gilchrist Road, Akron, Ohio.

The first test parameter is ODR (Oscillating Disk Reometry, by its meaning in English). This is a speed test or cure rate with two different speeds, healing and surface burn. Healing is the total healing time up to a specified healing state, and the burn Superficial is a measure of end-to-end healing, which refers to the rate of healing between the center of the composition and the outside of the composition. Cure speeds are tested in accordance with ASTM D 2084-01 using Tech Pro rheo TECH ODR at 148.9 ° C (300 ° F), 3rd arc, 11.29 joules (100 inch pounds) (torque moment interval), 60 minutes, and 1.7 Hz. The above data shows that Compositions 1, 5 and 8 all have faster cures than Comparative Composition D. Since the difference between 23 and 25 minutes is not significant in the field of tire manufacturing, Compositions 1, 5 and 8 have all acceptable cure speeds. All compositions also have acceptable surface burn numbers.

Original Physical Properties In the original physical properties diagram, the shore A durometer, the tensile strength, the final elongation, the 100% modulus and the 300% modulus were measured for the seven compositions. The properties were tested on a cured piece of rubber, to characterize the resistance of the cure. The physical properties are measured in accordance with ASTM D 412-98a (02) and D 2240-02b, with the weights of Matrix C tested at 50.8 cm / minute (20 inch / minute). The measurements for Composition A are normalized to 100%, and the values for the other compositions are adjusted accordingly. This diagram shows that Compositions 1, 5 and 8 generally work better (higher tensile strength, better elongation and better tension) than Comparative Compositions A, C and D.

Physical Owners Matured with Heat White Comp Comp Comp Comp Comp Comp Comp A C D 1 8 5 The heat maturation test measures the Shore A durometer, the tensile strength, and the elongation under heat aging conditions. This test was measured, in accordance with ASTM D 573-99, with specimens matured 72 hours at 70 ° C (158 ° F) in a forced air oven. The measurements for Composition A are normalized to 100%, and the values for the other compositions are adjusted accordingly. As seen from the previous diagram, Compositions 1, 5 and 8 worked better than Comparative Compositions A, C and D.

Adhesion Properties Adhesion is an indicator of how well the resin in the composition will help the rubber in bonding to steel bands in a tire. Adhesion can be measured as adhesion to a flexible substrate or as wire adhesion, either at room temperature (24 ° C (76 ° F) (original wire adhesion) or 21 days at 80 ° C (176 ° F), 98% of relative humidity (matured with wire adhesion) Adhesion to flexible substrate is measured in accordance with ASTM D 413-98 (02), with specimens of 6.35 mm (0.25 inches) wide tested at 5.08 cm / min (2 inches The average of the peaks was reported, both wire adhesion tests were measured in accordance with ASTM D 2229-02, with the specimens tested at 5 cm / min (2 inches / min), and pulled from a block of 12.7 mm (0.5 inch) rubber The average of 15 specimens was reported.For these three tests, the requests for Composition A are normalized to 100%, and the values for the other compositions are adjusted accordingly. shows that the flexible adhesion of Composition 5 is far superior to Comparative Compositions s A, C and D. Wire accessions of Compositions 1, 5 and 8 are equal to or better than those of Comparative Compositions A, C and D.

The Demattia flexibility is an indication of rubber stiffness / flexibility in healing. The Demattia Flexibility Test tries to mimic the impact a tire receives after hitting a bump on the road. The tests were measured in accordance with ASTM D 813-95 (00), with the perforated specimens tested at 300 cpm. As shown in the previous diagram, Compositions 1 and 8 worked the same as Comparative Compositions A, C and D, while Composition 5 exceeded Comparative Compositions A, C and D.

Properties of Elasticity Rebound elasticity measures a composition's ability to absorb energy and release energy as heat. The higher a percentage of elasticity, the better a composition is able to absorb and release energy. The bashore elasticity is measured at room temperature 24 ° C (76 ° F) and at room temperature immediately after conditioning for 30 minutes at 100 ° C (212 ° F). Both tests are run in accordance with ASTM D 2632-88, with a drop height of 40 cm (16 inches). The measurements of Composition A are normalized to 100%, and the values for the other compositions are adjusted accordingly. The above diagram shows that Composition 5 has a better rebound elasticity than Comparative Composition D, while Compositions 1 and 8 are on par with Comparative Composition D.

Mooney viscosity attempts to measure the ability of a rubber composition to be processed by, for example, a manufacturer. The lower the viscosity of the composition, the easier it is to process that composition. The Mooney viscosity is measured according to ASTM D 1646-00 with an Alpha Technologies MV2000 viscometer, with CML 1 + 4 at 100 ° C (212 ° F). Measurements were taken initially and at four minutes. The measurements for Composition A are normalized to 100%, and the values for the other compositions are adjusted accordingly. The above graph shows that Compositions 1, 5 and 8 are very similar in processing viscosity compared to Comparative Compositions A, C and D. In conclusion, the cumulative data confirm that Compositions 1, 5 and 8 (elaborated to from the Resins 1, 5 and 8) are viable alternatives for the current commercial modalities shown in Compositions A, C and D (elaborated from Resins A, C and D), working as well or better in the tests associated with the evaluation. of resorcinol and resorcinol resins. Having described the specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is therefore intended that this invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best known method for carrying out the aforementioned invention is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, it claims as property that contained in the following claims: 1. A novolak resin comprising phenolic monomers, characterized in that 1 to 40% by weight of the phenolic monomers are alkylphenols. 2. The novolac resin according to claim 1, characterized in that the phenolic monomers include resorcinol. 3. The novolac resin according to claim 1, characterized in that the phenolic monomers include phenol. 4. The novolac resin according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises: (a) 1 to 30% by weight of alkylphenols; (b) 1 to 25% by weight of resorcinol; (c) 45 to 98% by weight of phenol; and (d) one or more aldehydes; wherein the percentages by weight are based on the total weight of components (a), (b) and (c). 5. The novolac resin according to claim 4, characterized in that one or more of the Alkyl groups in alkylphenols is an alkyl group of 4 to 60 carbon atoms. 6. The novolac resin according to claim 5, characterized in that one or more of the alkyl groups in the alkylphenols is an alkyl group of 24 to 28 carbon atoms. The novolac resin according to claim 4, characterized in that one or more of the aldehydes is formaldehyde. 8. The novolac resin according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises: (a) 5 to 20% by weight of alkylphenols; (b) 5 to 15% by weight of resorcinol; (c) 65 to 90% by weight of phenol; and (d) one or more aldehydes; wherein the percentages by weight are based on the total weight of components (a), (b) and (c). 9. The novolac resin according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises: (a) 5 to 15% by weight of alkylphenols; (b) 5 to 15% by weight of resorcinol; (c) 70 to 90% by weight of phenol; and (d) formaldehyde; wherein the percentages by weight are based on the total weight of components (a), (b) and (c). 10. A composition characterized in that it comprises one or more rubber compounds and the novolac resin according to claim 1. 11. The composition according to claim 10, characterized in that the weight ratio of one or more rubber compounds to the resin Novolac is in the range of approximately 99: 1 to 9: 1. 12. A product, characterized in that it is prepared at least in part by vulcanizing the composition according to claim 10. 13. The product according to claim 12, characterized in that it is selected from the group consisting of tires, hoses , energy belts, conveyor belts, printing rollers, rubber shoe heels, rubber shoe soles, squeezing rollers, automobile floor mats or floor mats, truck fenders, ball mill liners, and weather stripping. 14. The product according to claim 12, characterized in that it is a surface coating of a wire band. 15. A process for preparing a rubber composition, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: (a) mixing one or more oils with one or more novolac resins to produce a composition of Novolac-oil; and (b) mixing the novolac-oil composition with one or more rubber compounds to produce a rubber composition. 16. The process according to claim 15, characterized in that the mixing of one or more oils with one or more novolac resins is effected by mixing in molten form. 17. The process according to claim 15, characterized in that one or more of the oils is a naturally derived oil. 18. The process according to claim 15, characterized in that one or more of the oils is an oil byproduct of the production of chemical wood pulp (liquid resin)., a linseed oil or a tung oil. 19. The process according to claim 15, characterized in that the weight percentage of one or more of the oils is in the range of from about 0.5 to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the novolac composition. acexte The process according to claim 19, characterized in that the weight percentage of one or more of the oils is in the range of about 2 to about 10% by weight. 21. The process according to claim 15, characterized in that the novolac resin is a resin containing phenolic monomers, wherein 1 to 40% by weight of the phenolic monomers are alkylphenols. 22. The process according to claim 15, characterized in that the weight ratio of one or more rubber compounds to the novolac-oil composition is in the range of about 99: 1 to about 4: 1. 23. The process according to claim 22, characterized in that the ratio is in the range of about 49: 1 to about 9: 1. 24. A tire comprising a novolac resin containing phenolic monomers, characterized in that 1 to 40% by weight of the phenolic monomers in the resin are alkylphenols. 25. The tire according to claim 24, characterized in that the novolac resin comprises: (a) 1 to 30% by weight of alkylphenols; (b) 1 to 25% by weight of resorcinol; (c) 45 to 98% by weight of phenol; and (d) one or more aldehydes; wherein the percentages by weight are based on the total weight of components (a), (b) and (c). 26. The tire according to claim 25, characterized in that one or more of the alkyl groups in the alkylphenols is an alkyl group of 4 to 60 carbon atoms. 27. The tire according to claim 25, characterized in that one or more of the alkyl groups in the alkylphenols is an alkyl group of 24 to 28 carbon atoms.